The A12 is a real differentiator versus the mid-range SoCs Android tablets contain. Never mind the lack of extensive tablet optimisation in Android apps. The real question is whether these come with 2GB, 3GB or 4GB of LPDDR4 memory.
The Apple iPad Mini is effectively an iPhone XR with the silicon, lets see if it has the 3gb of XR, or the 4gb of the XS and XS max, or if it sticks with 2gb of the previous cheap iPad Mini.
If the new models have 4gb of ram there will be little difference between iPad Air and Mini (2019) vs iPad Pro (2018) for the difference will be A12x vs A12. A12x has a 7 EU GPU vs a 4 EU GPU and has more memory bandwidth, but the CPU is the same with both having a Hexa-core consisting of 2× high performance Vortex cores + 4× high efficiency Tempest cores.
Now that you said it, the the Mini is essentially the larger version of XR with Touch ID, inferior camera but better Wireless connection with 1Gbps LTE. And it 64G starts at $529, compared to XR starts at $749
I think 2 is safely out, as in the last few years A* chips have matched RAM across iPhones and iPads. So either 3 or 4, and I'd be pretty fine with either, 4 would be a nice bonus.
As an owner of Galaxy Tab S2, I disagree with this notion. I use the tablet for web browsing, e-mail and media consumption (YouTube, ESPN, NBA - often just as an interface for ChromeCast). All the apps I uses are either optimized for tablet format or it does not matter (because interface is basically just a way to launch video streaming anyways). I believe this tablet is a better solution than any iPad for most people: * it's thiner and lighter than iPads * it has more RAM * it has better screen * it supports memory cards
The CPU is not super fast but why would it matter for those who, say, does not use their tablets for video editing (and, except for very few use cases, why would people do video editing on a tablet anyways?). Security updates? Samsung tablets get them, Besides have you met a single person who got burned by not getting a timely security update on Android device? I have not.
The only potential advantage iPads offer is 120Hz graphics but, as far as I understand, it's only available on high end (Pro) targeted as "PC replacement" (the goal which they clearly fail at).
FWIW as an opposing view point, my wife is considering the new iPad Mini over her current Galaxy Tab S2 because the performance has declined substantially over the past year. No amount of app removal or cleanup seems to help - she gets constant stuttering, and even Chrome will just sit there, pausing for several seconds at seemingly random intervals. Neither of us are fans of the extra Samsung non-removable utilities they force you to have installed, too. She WANTS an updated Nexus 7 more than anything and hates the idea of getting an iPad, but the market doesn't seem interested in selling anything like that any more.
I have never experienced slowdowns with Android devices myself but I do see people complaining about it on the Internet from time to time. If this is a wide spread phenomenon I wonder if it was diagnosed. I understand how this might happen when new OS design adds the features that require more CPU/GPU/RAM power but latest versions of Android were not like that (not for a long time). Could it be some rogue apps? They might do more damage on Android than iOS due to the fact that iOS concurrency is crippled by design. Admittedly I do not install that many apps.
As I support a raft of Android phones and tablets, as well as related Fire OS tablets, I have witnessed this on many devices over time. While sometimes you can identify the one app that's causing the problem, I'm afraid to say that, for almost all of the devices, the only way to really "fix" this issue is to do a factory wipe of them about once a year, or when the behavior gets too onerous. In almost every situation, after the factor wipe, and OS patching, they almost all have gone back to working like new.
Consider an ad-blocker and Opera. All those Javascript real-time trackers and front-edge analytics packages cost CPU at desktop budgets: It's not the devices getting slow, it's the web giants moving their compute to your device.
Just did it on my wife's old mid-range Samsung phone (to pass on to my mother). Up until now I thought very highly of my OCD ability to keep my OSs streamlined, but it was all for nothing. The reset made a world of difference.
It was so bad that, if ever I picked up the phone for a quick search or something, I'd ask the wife: How have you not thrown this thing straight at my head? (Seeing as I was the one who bought it for her)
Oh, and a big thank you to one of the comments above for the Opera+AB suggestion
I couldn't agree more. I'm in the exact same situation. I would have liked to move up to the Tab S5 but not with the combination of outdated processor and high price. The beauty of the Samsung's is the great screen + lite weight. Unmatched for couch surfing ;-)
Why do you need an A12 in a phone? I stress my tablet more than my phone (multi window on phone is joke but not on a tablet). But I do see where your coming from.
HEVC playback needs some grunt but yeah this is why my iPads go: iPad 1, 3, Pro no reason to upgrade every new model and with the Pro I am good for a couple more years.
Mobile CPUs are still easily overloaded compared to desktops. One drawing or 3D art program can bring one to its knees and require compromises to be made.
I have a tablet that has a very weak SoC. It's fine for browsing and note taking, but I soon found it handy for other stuff that it can barely handle.
Even web browsing feels slow on these mid-range SOCs. The Galaxy Tab S2 uses a Snapdragon 652, which uses Cortex A-72's from 2015. It's not even in the same league as the A12, which is a design from late last year. Open a heavy webpage (or even Youtube) side-by-side with one of these new iPads and it won't even be close.
I guess if the only thing you do is watch videos, then the AMOLED screen might outweigh all the speed advantages of the iPad, but it's not like the iPad has a bad screen by any means.
Actually, Tab S2 (do not know about the later models) is the only tablet with AMOLED panel with full RGB stripe. This alone can outweigh the mediocre SoC or the Samsung non-updating policy.
Browsing on Safari and Safari derived browsers is not a great experience at all by any means. Only webkit based options are allowed which blows.
Would take a mid range android tablet over an ipad with a highly restrictive OS like iOS. Come back to me when I can do emulators, attach peripherals through USB OTG, have pointer support, use non webkit browsers, install apps from external sources, Attach SD cards, Copy and paste files directly on an Ipad...
What's wrong with Safari? I mean, I prefer Firefox, but Safari works just fine.
If you want to do all those things, then I guess Android would be better. I just found I very rarely wanted to do any of those things after I got an Android tablet. I have a Shield Tablet that I thought would be a cool emulation device, but it is so slow even moving through the UI that I never bother. Same with hooking it up to a TV, yeah, it works, but I have six other things that do it better.
Hi, you said come back to you when you can use emulators, attach peripherals through USB OTG, have pointer support, use non webkit browsers, install apps from external sources, Attach SD cards, Copy and paste files directly on an Ipad
Given the sorry state of Android I wouldn't want to install an app from the store itself, let alone take the risk from outside of it. And why you'd think I'd want to install a spyware browser like Chrome is beyond me.
I'd add that Android OS on its own is enough reason for me to ditch iPads. Seriously, in 2019 iOS is still far behind compared to Android. Just give an app that blocks ads device wide on iOS (no vpns). I'd go on but the list is so long.
The Force of Delusion is your right. Your lack of facts is your prerogative. My laughing at your claims about the power of Linux for a consumer product [with 20 years of Linux and 30 years of NeXT/OS X] is mine.
And Google is enough to ditch Android. I used to be an Android fan like you, then I realised my privacy was more important to me than blind loyality to a multinational corporation that doesn't value me as a person.
I feel differently, I mostly been Apple phone and tablet - but when I got my first Samsung Tablet, I like it a lot and later got a Tab S3 and decided to get a Samsung Note 8 switch from iPhone 6 which started from iPhone 3.
I would not consider a ChromeOS device - it just a waste of Power for such device. One thing I don't understand about ChromeOS is why has not Qualcomm power be put on it - it sound perfect on it - why waste to trying x86 emulation on it.
To my understanding (and I could be remembering entirely wrong) from articles in the past discussing it, Qualcomm refused to provide the longterm support that Google required for the hardware. Too many portions of the stack were Qualcomm specific, and they wouldn't open it up for others like Google to update it, so they decided to not bother.
ChromeOS is not a waste of power. It runs Android and a Linux container. The UI is designed for a tablet or small laptop display.
Android on tablets is a mashup of phone UI scaled up to a larger display and UI changes that make no sense in the context of a tablet. Google has put essentially zero effort into Android on tablets. Samsung has done a bit to extend the usability but I cannot think of a single task that an Android tablet excels at compared to an iPad other than being cheap enough that you won't be as upset when your kid wrecks it.
A blown up phone UI works fairly well on the average sized tablet. Not to mention that a fair number of developers have made apps that scale well. A shrunk down desktop environment is horrible. Usable with a stylus, but below 10" not fun.
Really? Because you're pretty much guaranteed 4+ years of security updates for an iPad, vs android tablets where you're lucky to get 2 years. And after 2 years, an A12-based tablet is still likely to be faster than the newest android tablets.
That's why you need an open platform to use Custom ROMs.
I have a Nexus 10 that recently celebrated its 6th birthday and launched on Jelly Beans while it is now running Oreo while I'm pretty sure it will get a Pie or even a Q.
Sure, it's not super fast (never was a gaming device), but great for reading books, movies and surfing (Opera!) and on its second easily exchanged OEM battery it still lasts way more hours than I need.
I even used it as a desktop replacement with BT keyboard and mouse when I was in hospital a couple of years ago and whenever it ran out of steam locally, I just switched to an RDP session running on my home PC.
Best of all, it still has an honest-to-God micro-HDMI connector so I could hook it up to the TV for watching movies.
Funny, my Nexus 7 lost support at Marshmallow and even Lineage OS doesn’t support the Nexus 7(2013) so I am stuck at Nougat and apps hardly work well. Pretty sure the Nexus 10 lost support the same time. I got a iPad Mini 2019 as the Micro-USB port died and I can tell you, I tried the Android tablets first but nothing was as good in the size range full stop.
I don't know its a real trade off for me. The Samsung S5E, has a better design and an AMOLED screen, which I would greatly prefer. But it has that midrange SoC... and only costs $100 less.
A big gamechanger for me was in either iOS 11 or 12, when they added a native API for decoding H264/H265. Apple has some inside kind of dynamic hybrid decoder or something, because I've yet to put a video in front of it that it can't handle. Hi10p, H265 10-bit, etc. MrMC 'n VLC play pretty much anything I throw at them provided the Wi-fi can hold up. And this is on the original iPad Pro which had the A10X 'n my iPhone X w/ a bog-standard A11. I'd imagine that the new mini/Air handle that stuff even better.
As I understand, all video decoders are implemented using special hardware and have nothing to do with CPU power. From Wikipedia: On February 29, 2012, at the 2012 Mobile World Congress, Qualcomm demonstrated a HEVC decoder running on an Android tablet, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor running at 1.5 GHz, showing H.264/MPEG-4 AVC and HEVC versions of the same video content playing side by side.[1] In this demonstration HEVC reportedly showed almost a 50% bit rate reduction compared with H.264/MPEG-4 AVC.
Apparently this was the first hardware that implemented HEVC decoder. Apple added support for H.265 two years later in 2014.
Doesn’t seem to be so going by the tech specs page: All models Digital compass Wi-Fi iBeacon microlocation Wi-Fi + Cellular models Assisted GPS, GLONASS Cellular
The cellular models are called "WiFi + Cellular", it's not actually WiFi and cellular models. See the cellular connectivity on the same tech spec page.
Hmmm, a surprise announcement of iPad including the latest phone chip....sale sof the XS and XR must be well below expectations for them to have the capacity to do this given we have not heard about any increases in Apple demand for semis...
If you wanted proof that Apple is feeling no pressure from Windows, Chrome or Android tablets, here it is: Apple is so unconcerned with competition that they just updated they're keeping the original iPad Mini's design from 2012, and changing the name of the 10.5" iPad from "Pro" to "Air," and updating the guts.
Interesting, thanks! I'm looking just for a couch device, so 9.7" or 10.2" doesn't seem like a big difference. But 7.9" is too small for me, not enough of a bump from my phones (6"+) and it'll be mostly stationary. I wouldn't mind a similar (low) price to the 2018 model, though. :D
That's exactly what I was thinking too. Especially as many people will be comparing the Air 10.5 to a refurb Pro 10.5 2017 (ProMotion, 4GB RAM, faster GPU and quad speakers) as well. Most tech media sites neglected to even mention the similar chassis...
I think the very different views expressed here about "speed" are linked to 1. different use cases, 2. different tolerance to slowdowns. I still use my surface 3 daily to watch youtube videos, it's great at that. But web browsing? It's feasible but once you have been spoiled by an ipad pro, it feels slow as molasses... Today I read someone saying their ipad mini 2 was still great and fast. Well, mine is a pain to browse the web... (but perfectly fine for some apps, games and playing music). Even my mini 4 feels slow when you are used to the pro... My 78 year old mother is perfectly fine with her 2013 galaxy note 8, but she is very tolerant to waiting for things to open/load... I want to browse on my tablet as fast as on my desktop... and the A12 does that, at least on ios 12...
Yes, web browsing experience on older device will let you down. I still have an original iPad mini (with A5!). Apps still usable although it's slow, but web browsing is terrible.
I was super excited for the iPad Mini but I'm feeling a bit underwhelmed. Seems lazy and purposely gimped from a physical design standpoint. Couldn't they trim those bezels?? I guess they didn't want it to look sexier than the Pro's.
Glad they are launching another mini (finally - it's only been what 5 years since the mini 4?) but $400 for an 8" tablet in 2019 is not going to be popular.
It will probably sell, because the Mini 4 with an A8 is still selling for at least 350€ (shops I don't know) or 400€ (shops I know) and the Mini 5 with the much superioir A12 is already listed for 450€ and it's going to get lower. So Apple customers are ready to pay a premium for a small tablet. At least now they get decent specs. Really makes you appreciate the great value of the 2018 iPad.
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osxandwindows - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
No way I can justify a premium android tablet over this.psychobriggsy - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
The A12 is a real differentiator versus the mid-range SoCs Android tablets contain. Never mind the lack of extensive tablet optimisation in Android apps. The real question is whether these come with 2GB, 3GB or 4GB of LPDDR4 memory.Roland00Address - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
*Nods*The Apple iPad Mini is effectively an iPhone XR with the silicon, lets see if it has the 3gb of XR, or the 4gb of the XS and XS max, or if it sticks with 2gb of the previous cheap iPad Mini.
If the new models have 4gb of ram there will be little difference between iPad Air and Mini (2019) vs iPad Pro (2018) for the difference will be A12x vs A12. A12x has a 7 EU GPU vs a 4 EU GPU and has more memory bandwidth, but the CPU is the same with both having a Hexa-core consisting of 2× high performance Vortex cores + 4× high efficiency Tempest cores.
arayoflight - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
The A12x has an octa-core configuration. 4x Vortex + 4x Tempest. Not to mention higher clock speeds and TDP.DanNeely - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
I'm seeing reports elsewhere that the 10.5" Pro is being retired to open up the gap between todays releases and the higher end pro models.ksec - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Now that you said it, the the Mini is essentially the larger version of XR with Touch ID, inferior camera but better Wireless connection with 1Gbps LTE. And it 64G starts at $529, compared to XR starts at $749That is a whole $220 difference!.
tipoo - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
I think 2 is safely out, as in the last few years A* chips have matched RAM across iPhones and iPads. So either 3 or 4, and I'd be pretty fine with either, 4 would be a nice bonus.lilo777 - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
As an owner of Galaxy Tab S2, I disagree with this notion. I use the tablet for web browsing, e-mail and media consumption (YouTube, ESPN, NBA - often just as an interface for ChromeCast). All the apps I uses are either optimized for tablet format or it does not matter (because interface is basically just a way to launch video streaming anyways). I believe this tablet is a better solution than any iPad for most people:* it's thiner and lighter than iPads
* it has more RAM
* it has better screen
* it supports memory cards
The CPU is not super fast but why would it matter for those who, say, does not use their tablets for video editing (and, except for very few use cases, why would people do video editing on a tablet anyways?). Security updates? Samsung tablets get them, Besides have you met a single person who got burned by not getting a timely security update on Android device? I have not.
The only potential advantage iPads offer is 120Hz graphics but, as far as I understand, it's only available on high end (Pro) targeted as "PC replacement" (the goal which they clearly fail at).
jefmes - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
FWIW as an opposing view point, my wife is considering the new iPad Mini over her current Galaxy Tab S2 because the performance has declined substantially over the past year. No amount of app removal or cleanup seems to help - she gets constant stuttering, and even Chrome will just sit there, pausing for several seconds at seemingly random intervals. Neither of us are fans of the extra Samsung non-removable utilities they force you to have installed, too. She WANTS an updated Nexus 7 more than anything and hates the idea of getting an iPad, but the market doesn't seem interested in selling anything like that any more.lilo777 - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
I have never experienced slowdowns with Android devices myself but I do see people complaining about it on the Internet from time to time. If this is a wide spread phenomenon I wonder if it was diagnosed. I understand how this might happen when new OS design adds the features that require more CPU/GPU/RAM power but latest versions of Android were not like that (not for a long time). Could it be some rogue apps? They might do more damage on Android than iOS due to the fact that iOS concurrency is crippled by design. Admittedly I do not install that many apps.BuzzBuzz - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
I wiped and factory reset my Tab S2 a couple months ago and it does help. I wouldn't be able to drop to the 8" myself but I'd LOVE an A12 swap!lightningz71 - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
As I support a raft of Android phones and tablets, as well as related Fire OS tablets, I have witnessed this on many devices over time. While sometimes you can identify the one app that's causing the problem, I'm afraid to say that, for almost all of the devices, the only way to really "fix" this issue is to do a factory wipe of them about once a year, or when the behavior gets too onerous. In almost every situation, after the factor wipe, and OS patching, they almost all have gone back to working like new.abufrejoval - Wednesday, March 20, 2019 - link
Consider an ad-blocker and Opera. All those Javascript real-time trackers and front-edge analytics packages cost CPU at desktop budgets: It's not the devices getting slow, it's the web giants moving their compute to your device.f4tali - Wednesday, March 20, 2019 - link
One more comment in favor of a factory reset.Just did it on my wife's old mid-range Samsung phone (to pass on to my mother). Up until now I thought very highly of my OCD ability to keep my OSs streamlined, but it was all for nothing. The reset made a world of difference.
It was so bad that, if ever I picked up the phone for a quick search or something, I'd ask the wife: How have you not thrown this thing straight at my head?
(Seeing as I was the one who bought it for her)
Oh, and a big thank you to one of the comments above for the Opera+AB suggestion
jOHEI - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Yes, specially the Tab S5e is 400$ 4GB/64GB with a sd670, 100$ cheaper than the iPad Air, but with a better AMOLED screenBuzzBuzz - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
I couldn't agree more. I'm in the exact same situation. I would have liked to move up to the Tab S5 but not with the combination of outdated processor and high price. The beauty of the Samsung's is the great screen + lite weight. Unmatched for couch surfing ;-)lilo777 - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Why do you need CPU power on a tablet? It's not like iPad can play videos any faster :-)BuzzBuzz - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Why do you need an A12 in a phone? I stress my tablet more than my phone (multi window on phone is joke but not on a tablet). But I do see where your coming from.Spectrophobic - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
I honestly didn't know I'll be reading that kind comment on Anandtech...Icehawk - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
HEVC playback needs some grunt but yeah this is why my iPads go: iPad 1, 3, Pro no reason to upgrade every new model and with the Pro I am good for a couple more years.Tams80 - Wednesday, March 20, 2019 - link
Mobile CPUs are still easily overloaded compared to desktops. One drawing or 3D art program can bring one to its knees and require compromises to be made.I have a tablet that has a very weak SoC. It's fine for browsing and note taking, but I soon found it handy for other stuff that it can barely handle.
cfenton - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Even web browsing feels slow on these mid-range SOCs. The Galaxy Tab S2 uses a Snapdragon 652, which uses Cortex A-72's from 2015. It's not even in the same league as the A12, which is a design from late last year. Open a heavy webpage (or even Youtube) side-by-side with one of these new iPads and it won't even be close.I guess if the only thing you do is watch videos, then the AMOLED screen might outweigh all the speed advantages of the iPad, but it's not like the iPad has a bad screen by any means.
risa2000 - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Actually, Tab S2 (do not know about the later models) is the only tablet with AMOLED panel with full RGB stripe. This alone can outweigh the mediocre SoC or the Samsung non-updating policy.dudedud - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Didnt a RGB amoled suffered from faster burn-in than "traditional" pentile? Pretty sure that was the reason nobody tried that stripe anymore.LiverpoolFC5903 - Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - link
Browsing on Safari and Safari derived browsers is not a great experience at all by any means. Only webkit based options are allowed which blows.Would take a mid range android tablet over an ipad with a highly restrictive OS like iOS. Come back to me when I can do emulators, attach peripherals through USB OTG, have pointer support, use non webkit browsers, install apps from external sources, Attach SD cards, Copy and paste files directly on an Ipad...
cfenton - Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - link
What's wrong with Safari? I mean, I prefer Firefox, but Safari works just fine.If you want to do all those things, then I guess Android would be better. I just found I very rarely wanted to do any of those things after I got an Android tablet. I have a Shield Tablet that I thought would be a cool emulation device, but it is so slow even moving through the UI that I never bother. Same with hooking it up to a TV, yeah, it works, but I have six other things that do it better.
Oliseo - Thursday, June 20, 2019 - link
Hi, you said come back to you when you can use emulators, attach peripherals through USB OTG, have pointer support, use non webkit browsers, install apps from external sources, Attach SD cards, Copy and paste files directly on an IpadGiven the sorry state of Android I wouldn't want to install an app from the store itself, let alone take the risk from outside of it. And why you'd think I'd want to install a spyware browser like Chrome is beyond me.
But the rest, I'm getting back to you...
Didn't take long either, just a few months.
Aouniat - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
I'd add that Android OS on its own is enough reason for me to ditch iPads. Seriously, in 2019 iOS is still far behind compared to Android. Just give an app that blocks ads device wide on iOS (no vpns). I'd go on but the list is so long.Aouniat - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Oh yes and an easy way to install apps from outside the Apple store.mdriftmeyer - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
The Force of Delusion is your right. Your lack of facts is your prerogative. My laughing at your claims about the power of Linux for a consumer product [with 20 years of Linux and 30 years of NeXT/OS X] is mine.Oliseo - Thursday, June 20, 2019 - link
And Google is enough to ditch Android. I used to be an Android fan like you, then I realised my privacy was more important to me than blind loyality to a multinational corporation that doesn't value me as a person.jordanclock - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Even as a huge Android fan, I can't recommend Android tablets at all for the most part. If someone wants one, I would suggest ChromeOS every time.HStewart - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
I feel differently, I mostly been Apple phone and tablet - but when I got my first Samsung Tablet, I like it a lot and later got a Tab S3 and decided to get a Samsung Note 8 switch from iPhone 6 which started from iPhone 3.I would not consider a ChromeOS device - it just a waste of Power for such device. One thing I don't understand about ChromeOS is why has not Qualcomm power be put on it - it sound perfect on it - why waste to trying x86 emulation on it.
ztrouy - Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - link
To my understanding (and I could be remembering entirely wrong) from articles in the past discussing it, Qualcomm refused to provide the longterm support that Google required for the hardware. Too many portions of the stack were Qualcomm specific, and they wouldn't open it up for others like Google to update it, so they decided to not bother.jordanclock - Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - link
ChromeOS is not a waste of power. It runs Android and a Linux container. The UI is designed for a tablet or small laptop display.Android on tablets is a mashup of phone UI scaled up to a larger display and UI changes that make no sense in the context of a tablet. Google has put essentially zero effort into Android on tablets. Samsung has done a bit to extend the usability but I cannot think of a single task that an Android tablet excels at compared to an iPad other than being cheap enough that you won't be as upset when your kid wrecks it.
jordanclock - Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - link
Also, I don't know what you mean by x86 emulation. Android on ChromeOS runs x86 apps. There is no emulation.Tams80 - Wednesday, March 20, 2019 - link
A blown up phone UI works fairly well on the average sized tablet. Not to mention that a fair number of developers have made apps that scale well.A shrunk down desktop environment is horrible. Usable with a stylus, but below 10" not fun.
Wasabi_Vengeance - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Really? Because you're pretty much guaranteed 4+ years of security updates for an iPad, vs android tablets where you're lucky to get 2 years. And after 2 years, an A12-based tablet is still likely to be faster than the newest android tablets.abufrejoval - Wednesday, March 20, 2019 - link
That's why you need an open platform to use Custom ROMs.I have a Nexus 10 that recently celebrated its 6th birthday and launched on Jelly Beans while it is now running Oreo while I'm pretty sure it will get a Pie or even a Q.
Sure, it's not super fast (never was a gaming device), but great for reading books, movies and surfing (Opera!) and on its second easily exchanged OEM battery it still lasts way more hours than I need.
I even used it as a desktop replacement with BT keyboard and mouse when I was in hospital a couple of years ago and whenever it ran out of steam locally, I just switched to an RDP session running on my home PC.
Best of all, it still has an honest-to-God micro-HDMI connector so I could hook it up to the TV for watching movies.
XVIIONE - Monday, December 30, 2019 - link
Funny, my Nexus 7 lost support at Marshmallow and even Lineage OS doesn’t support the Nexus 7(2013) so I am stuck at Nougat and apps hardly work well. Pretty sure the Nexus 10 lost support the same time. I got a iPad Mini 2019 as the Micro-USB port died and I can tell you, I tried the Android tablets first but nothing was as good in the size range full stop.Sttm - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
I don't know its a real trade off for me. The Samsung S5E, has a better design and an AMOLED screen, which I would greatly prefer. But it has that midrange SoC... and only costs $100 less.patel21 - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Wxactly my thoughts. Samsung S5E has best of both worlds. A Midrange SoC, Great Samoled Screen and Android at budgetSttm - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Id rather have more power and pay more. I'd instantly buy a $499 S5S Tablet with Snapdragon 855.mukiex - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
A big gamechanger for me was in either iOS 11 or 12, when they added a native API for decoding H264/H265. Apple has some inside kind of dynamic hybrid decoder or something, because I've yet to put a video in front of it that it can't handle. Hi10p, H265 10-bit, etc. MrMC 'n VLC play pretty much anything I throw at them provided the Wi-fi can hold up. And this is on the original iPad Pro which had the A10X 'n my iPhone X w/ a bog-standard A11. I'd imagine that the new mini/Air handle that stuff even better.Icehawk - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Yup, HEVC is why I upgraded to a Pro (1st gen) needed the muscle to play themlilo777 - Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - link
As I understand, all video decoders are implemented using special hardware and have nothing to do with CPU power. From Wikipedia: On February 29, 2012, at the 2012 Mobile World Congress, Qualcomm demonstrated a HEVC decoder running on an Android tablet, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor running at 1.5 GHz, showing H.264/MPEG-4 AVC and HEVC versions of the same video content playing side by side.[1] In this demonstration HEVC reportedly showed almost a 50% bit rate reduction compared with H.264/MPEG-4 AVC.Apparently this was the first hardware that implemented HEVC decoder. Apple added support for H.265 two years later in 2014.
MasterTactician - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
This implies the Wi-Fi only model has GPS. Is that accurate?Andrei Frumusanu - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Correct.MasterTactician - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Doesn’t seem to be so going by the tech specs page:All models
Digital compass
Wi-Fi
iBeacon microlocation
Wi-Fi + Cellular models
Assisted GPS, GLONASS
Cellular
Andrei Frumusanu - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
The cellular models are called "WiFi + Cellular", it's not actually WiFi and cellular models. See the cellular connectivity on the same tech spec page.0iron - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
If it's true, it's a NEWS. But still not convincing enough after reading through the tech spec. Seem like only cellular models have GPS.Midwayman - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Wonder if they are the nicer laminated displays? Pro Motion? Back to premium pricing too.tipoo - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Laminated, oleophobic, and antireflective, but no ProMotion.Speedfriend - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Hmmm, a surprise announcement of iPad including the latest phone chip....sale sof the XS and XR must be well below expectations for them to have the capacity to do this given we have not heard about any increases in Apple demand for semis...arayoflight - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Does the WiFi only version have eSim support?Devo2007 - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Umm.... Why would the WiFi-only version support eSIM? WiFi = no cellular radios so an eSIM would be absolutely pointless.sing_electric - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
If you wanted proof that Apple is feeling no pressure from Windows, Chrome or Android tablets, here it is: Apple is so unconcerned with competition that they just updated they're keeping the original iPad Mini's design from 2012, and changing the name of the 10.5" iPad from "Pro" to "Air," and updating the guts.Tams80 - Wednesday, March 20, 2019 - link
Hey, the design is pretty decent, and it means they've left that 3.5mm jack alone!fred666 - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
pretty lame they are still using lightning connectorsKamus - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Guess I'll stick with my 2013 ipad one more year... not upgrading until I can get an OLED one, and hopefully at least 120hz.0iron - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
iPad refresh cycle is longer, I bet Apple will not update it next year let alone upgrade to OLED.Death666Angel - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
I'm still hoping for an updated iPad 9.7".digiguy - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
The same guy who predicted the 10.5 non pro said it's coming later this year and will be 10.2"Death666Angel - Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - link
Interesting, thanks! I'm looking just for a couch device, so 9.7" or 10.2" doesn't seem like a big difference. But 7.9" is too small for me, not enough of a bump from my phones (6"+) and it'll be mostly stationary. I wouldn't mind a similar (low) price to the 2018 model, though. :Dchrysrobyn - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
It would be good to add the iPad Pro to the comparison. Looks like the specs align better.plewis00 - Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - link
That's exactly what I was thinking too. Especially as many people will be comparing the Air 10.5 to a refurb Pro 10.5 2017 (ProMotion, 4GB RAM, faster GPU and quad speakers) as well. Most tech media sites neglected to even mention the similar chassis...digiguy - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
I think the very different views expressed here about "speed" are linked to 1. different use cases, 2. different tolerance to slowdowns. I still use my surface 3 daily to watch youtube videos, it's great at that. But web browsing? It's feasible but once you have been spoiled by an ipad pro, it feels slow as molasses... Today I read someone saying their ipad mini 2 was still great and fast. Well, mine is a pain to browse the web... (but perfectly fine for some apps, games and playing music). Even my mini 4 feels slow when you are used to the pro... My 78 year old mother is perfectly fine with her 2013 galaxy note 8, but she is very tolerant to waiting for things to open/load... I want to browse on my tablet as fast as on my desktop... and the A12 does that, at least on ios 12...0iron - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
Yes, web browsing experience on older device will let you down. I still have an original iPad mini (with A5!). Apps still usable although it's slow, but web browsing is terrible.flgt - Monday, March 18, 2019 - link
I was super excited for the iPad Mini but I'm feeling a bit underwhelmed. Seems lazy and purposely gimped from a physical design standpoint. Couldn't they trim those bezels?? I guess they didn't want it to look sexier than the Pro's.Tams80 - Wednesday, March 20, 2019 - link
I like bezels, but yeah, the mini's are a bit excessive.Samus - Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - link
Glad they are launching another mini (finally - it's only been what 5 years since the mini 4?) but $400 for an 8" tablet in 2019 is not going to be popular.digiguy - Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - link
with that chip and pencil support it is...Death666Angel - Wednesday, March 20, 2019 - link
It will probably sell, because the Mini 4 with an A8 is still selling for at least 350€ (shops I don't know) or 400€ (shops I know) and the Mini 5 with the much superioir A12 is already listed for 450€ and it's going to get lower. So Apple customers are ready to pay a premium for a small tablet. At least now they get decent specs. Really makes you appreciate the great value of the 2018 iPad.ABR - Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - link
Not a big deal but the Air 2 (not sure about the mini) launched with iOS 8, not 9 as given in the table.